Health Information Technology (HIT)
Program Description
The Health Information Technology Program offers the academic preparation, laboratory and clinical training for a career as a Health Information Technician. Health Information Technicians organize and evaluate patient records (symptoms, medical history, results of examinations, reports of x-rays, laboratory tests, diagnosis, treatment plans, observations, medical or surgical interventions, and treatment outcomes) for completeness and accuracy. They regularly communicate with physicians, and other health care professionals to clarify diagnoses or to obtain additional information. Entry-level information technicians may be employed in a variety of settings, and they may assume a variety of job titles depending upon their education, work experience and place of employment.
Mission and Goals
Entry-level health information technicians may be employed in a variety of settings, from hospitals, physician office and ambulatory clinics to insurance companies, long term care facilities and more. They may assume a variety of job titles depending upon their education, work experience and place of employment, including but not limited to
The associate degree curriculum emphasizes the technical component of providing a variety of health information services. The curriculum is designed to prepare entry-level graduates with the knowledge and skills necessary to use, analyze, present abstract, code, store and/or retrieve health care data for the support of departmental operations, and clinical and business decision making in healthcare, or related organizations. The professional education requirements are comprised of knowledge clusters. The knowledge clusters are further defined by knowledge units.
The framework for HIM Education has five goals:
- Reflects the abilities that will be required in the near future, as electronic-based health information management practice becomes the norm and paper-based practice is the exception;
- Presents a continuum of academic levels
- Defines descriptors and roles for each academic-level
- Ties to the entry-level competencies and knowledge clusters for applicable academic levels
- Ties to the entry-level competencies and knowledge clusters for applicable academic levels
Health information management professions hold many diverse roles, yet all share a common purpose: providing reliable and valid information that drives the healthcare delivery system. They are specialists, working with health information systems, managing medical records, and coding information for reimbursement and research.
Health information management professionals are uniquely qualified to:
- Ensure health information is complete and available to legitimate users
- Code and classify data for reimbursement
- Analyze information necessary for decision support
- Protect patient privacy and provide information security
- Enhance the quality of data used within the healthcare delivery system
- Administer health information computer systems
- Comply with standards and regulations regarding the protection of private health information
- Prepare data for accreditation surveys
- Analyze clinical data to support research and public policy
The Health Information Technology (HIT) Program provides each student opportunities to learn and develop competencies which include:
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking
- Specific technical skills which adapt to ever changing technologies
- Necessary computation skills
- Information literacy skills appropriate to the their discipline and professional development
- Therapeutic interpersonal skills
- Personal skills that enhance healthy lifestyles, academic integrity and acceptable professional behavior, and
- Skills necessary to perform in the healthcare environment at various levels and in various settings